Soldiers of Avarice

by Stephen L. Nowland

  “Rather mysterious, don’t you agree?” Aiden added, keenly observing his face for any sign of a reaction. “There, at the bottom, you can see the initials R.B.”

  Bartlett’s eyes narrowed slightly as he finished the note. “A mystery indeed, Mister Wainwright. Tell me, why did you wish me to see this?”

  “You’re a man of great renown,” Aiden offered respectfully. “If anyone could shed some light on this problem, it’s you.”

  Bartlett didn’t react to the obvious compliment for a few moments as he looked at Aiden with what could only be described as suspicion. “Let me make one thing clear, Mister Wainwright,” he said at last, his voice crisp. “I can’t abide toadies or yes-men. Can’t stand them.”

  “Of course, sir,” Aiden apologized, knowing he’d pushed his lie a little too far.

  “I’m sorry I can’t help you with the origins of this note,” Bartlett gruffly remarked, handing it back to Aiden. “Feel free to relax here for a time, though I would prefer you to be properly attired if you wish to stay longer.”

  “Of course; we won’t be here long,” Aiden assured him. “Thank you for your time, Mister Bartlett. It’s been an honor meeting you, despite our rocky start.”

  “The honor is mine, sir, and again, my apologies,” Bartlett replied, shaking the proffered hand firmly. He then rejoined his earlier conversation, leaving Aiden and his companions to ponder their next move.

  “That bloke standing on the other side of the room, near the fireplace,” Pacian whispered, “he’s not like the others here. He has the look of a guardsman about him." A cursory glance allowed Aiden to confirm this, though he wasn’t sure if the rugged-looking man was investigating all of them, or more specifically Sayana.

  Aiden gestured for the others to follow him and headed in the man’s direction. The gentlemen of the club seemed to have found other, more important things to be looking at as Aiden and the others walked past them; they were all smoking their pipes furiously or engaged in deep conversations with their contemporaries, evidently embarrassed at how Sayana had been treated by Mister Bartlett upon their entry to the club.

  However, the man they were walking towards didn’t seem at all embarrassed. He casually leaned against the mantelpiece, watching their approach with an intensity that belied his relaxed demeanor. He was smoking a cigar, not a pipe, and his build suggested that unlike the rest of the men present, he was used to physical labor.

  “Watch out for this one,” Colt whispered to Aiden as they moved closer. “He’s trouble.” Aiden didn’t have time to reply before he stood in front of the man, but he understood what Colt was trying to say.

  “Hell of an entrance you made there, friend,” the man said, in a voice made husky from smoking, his sharp blue eyes evaluating the small group. “And a clever way to distract them from asking how you really ended up with that key.”

  Aiden smiled vapidly at him, stalling as he tried to think of a rejoinder. Colt was right to counsel caution — this one was no fool. “I don’t know what you mean; it’s all quite legitimate,” he replied lightly, trying not to show his worry that this man seemed to have him all figured out.

  “Sure it is,” the man replied, “and if that girl is from a noble house, then I’m the king of Aielund. Relax; I’m not going to say anything,” he added, with a puff of his cigar. “If I thought you were any kind of danger, I’d have thrown you out of here the minute you came in.

  “Frankly I think these gentlemen needed a little nudge to remind them that not all women are like their horrible wives, especially you, miss,” he said, giving Sayana a knowing smile. To Aiden’s surprise, she blushed bright red and retreated behind Colt, who crossed his arms and did his best to loom as large as possible.

  “You seem to know what’s going on around here,” Aiden remarked cautiously, dropping any pretense of being a visitor from Fairloch. “Name’s Aiden; and yours?”

  “Robert Black,” he replied, “and yes, I do. I handle security for Mister Bartlett’s business interests. Now, what is it?”

  Aiden was almost caught off guard by the sudden realization that Robert’s initials were R.B. as well. He handed the note over and watched Robert’s face for any hint of recognition. His facial expression didn’t change at all as he read the message.

  “Where did you get this?” he asked bluntly a few moments later.

  “From a group of men digging their way under the crypt outside of the church,” Aiden supplied, seeing no reason to withhold the information. “They met an unfortunate end, undoubtedly due to their incompetent excavation,” he added, and saw with satisfaction that Robert flinched slightly at the news.

  They might have discovered who R.B. was.

  “Looks like you’ve stumbled onto a grave security situation here,” Robert advised, without a hint as to his true feelings on the matter. “This might have ramifications to my duties, so I’d better go speak with my people.”

  “That might be a good idea,” Aiden agreed cautiously. Aside from that flinch, he had nothing else to go on, and began to second-guess himself.

  Robert stubbed out his cigar on an ashtray, and then extended his right hand, which Aiden took. “You’ve done well, bringing this information to me,” he said. “I’m going to look into it, and then I’ll make sure you get what you deserve.”

  Without a further word, he stepped forward briskly and moved past them towards the door. Colt gave him a shove with his shoulder as Robert went past, drawing a dispassionate glare from the man as he continued on.

  “Well, that’s an intriguing reaction,” Aiden muttered wryly.

  “That was the look of someone who had his plans ruined,” Pacian agreed. “Do you think it was his men down in that tunnel?”

  “Could be,” Colt grunted. “But here’s an important question — Bartlett followed him down the stairs. Are we going to grab him, or what?”

  “Bartlett left too?” Aiden asked nobody in particular, peering over to see that the man had indeed vacated the room. “He might be in on it, after all. Let’s see where he goes.”

  Without discussing it further, they quickly moved through the smoky room and hurried down the stairs. But by the time they had reached the ground floor, there was no sign of either of them. The front door was slightly ajar, however, and the servant had an astonished look on his face.

  “Goodness me, that was strange,” he exclaimed, before noticing Aiden and the others peering around the corner. “What on earth did you say to them?”

  “Did Mister Bartlett follow Mister Black out that door?” Aiden queried, knowing the answer, but wanting confirmation.

  “Yes, practically running out of here,” he breathed.

  “Do they talk often?” Aiden pressed. “Do you know what about?”

  “Here now, what’s all this about, anyway?” he asked imperiously. “If you’ve done something to upset him, I should warn you that Mister Bartlett is a powerful man in this town, and he can make things very difficult for you and your associates.”

  Pacian stepped forward to answer this one. Aiden had good reason to believe he wasn’t going to be entirely truthful. “Sir, the Royal Rangers have important legal business with your employer, and you would do well to cooperate with us,” he bluffed.

  “I find it difficult to believe my master, a man of impeccable credentials, could be involved in any sort of unlawful business,” the servant protested.

  “It’s not our purpose to sully his good name, only to protect Mister Bartlett from what appears to be some sort of criminal conspiracy, sir.”

  “Good heavens, this is terrible news!” the servant said in dismay.

  “Don’t worry,” Pacian assured him. “We’re tracking down the perpetrators. Can you tell me anything about the man he was with, a Mister Black?”

  “I don’t know what they talk about exactly,” the servant explained, “but I do know from the company ledger that he’s paying Mister Black a considerable sum of money. For what, I couldn’t tell you.”
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br />   “Interesting. Thank you for your time, sir,” Pacian said. “You may hear from the Sergeant of the Guard in the near future — please cooperate with her in any way she asks.”

  “Certainly, Ranger,” he replied obediently. “Will that be all?”

  “Yes; thank you for your assistance, it is appreciated,” Pacian finished, leading the others out through the door into the cold outside air once more. He looked like he was about to say something, but Aiden shook his head and pointed down the street. Pace nodded, and let Aiden take the lead.

  “I can see why people join up with the guards,” Pacian mused, his breath misting in the cold air. “I could get used to throwing around a little authority like that.”

  Colt, who had been crouched down, looking for any obvious tracks their two suspects might have left on the ground, stood up and towered over him threateningly. “If you ever impersonate a ranger again,” he growled, “I’m going to shove that uniform down your throat.”

  “But isn’t that what you’re doing right now?” Pacian replied sarcastically. “There you are, wearing ranger armor after they kicked you out. Am I wrong?”

  “Hey, settle down,” Aiden ordered. “We have more important matters to discuss. Colt, back off. Pace did well to get us the information, and he didn’t even have to kill anyone to do it.”

  “This time,” Colt muttered, easing back his posture but continuing to scowl at Pacian.

  “I’m not sure I understand everything that happened,” Sayana admitted, rubbing her hands together to keep warm.

  “I’m amazed you could follow what was going on, with all that flirting you were doing,” Pacian teased, grinning slyly.

  “I was not,” she protested, blushing profusely.

  “Look, their conduct was fairly incriminating,” Aiden interjected, “but we’ve nothing concrete to go with.”

  “Their behavior wasn’t normal?” Sayana asked. “I thought the blue-eyed man seemed reasonable.”

  “You really are smitten,” Pacian remarked incredulously. “He’s a scumbag, plain and simple. Doesn’t matter how nice he looked in those fine clothes, he’s probably laughing at your naivety right now. Trust me, I know people like that.”

  Sayana didn’t reply, but appeared sullen after being on the receiving end of Pacian’s philosophical views.

  “Go easy on her, she’s new to the concept of intrigue,” Aiden advised. “I don’t think there’s much more we can do, but I’d like to know more about this Robert Black fellow. He seemed a little too dangerous for a mere security guard.”

  “He stood like a warrior, ready to act,” Sayana pointed out.

  “You’ve got good instincts, Sy; that was no ordinary guard,” Colt added, much to Sayana’s relief. “If he’s in charge of protecting Bartlett’s business, he’s probably got a bunch of men under his command. Mercenaries coming to cities like this usually have to register with the town guard,” Colt explained. “You can’t bring a small private army to a place like this without drawing attention.”

  “Ariel might know more about him,” Aiden mused. “Let’s follow this up, and if it’s a dead end, we drop it and move on.”

  The others voiced their agreement and then continued moving, heading for the site of the collapse, where Ariel had said she would be. The crowd had dispersed when they arrived, with only a few of the guards stationed here to keep others away. One of them informed Aiden that the sergeant had returned to the barracks, so they headed back there and found Ariel working at her desk once more.

  “I swear, this pile was half this size when I left here a while ago,” she muttered, casually gesturing at the mound of papers awaiting her attention. “What can I do for you now?”

  “I have a quick question for you,” Aiden said. “Do you know of a man named Robert Black? He might be in command of a small security force in the city.”

  “Yeah, I know the name,” Ariel responded, setting aside her papers for a moment. “Black is the commander of the Steel Tigers mercenary company, and they’re contracted to provide protection for the North Shore Trading Company, of which Ronald Bartlett is the majority owner. They’ve been here for a few months. Why?”

  “No reason,” Aiden answered with a shrug. “I happened to meet him a little while ago, and wondered if he was helping secure the city for you.”

  “We don’t hire mercenaries, mate,” Ariel bristled. “They have no loyalties to the Crown, only to whoever is paying them at the time. You can’t trust a force that might cut and run at the first sign of trouble.”

  “Yeah, people who only care about money are awful,” Pacian agreed, without a trace of self-awareness.

  “Yes, well, I think we’re done here,” Aiden blurted. “Thanks for your time. Oh, did you know Robert Black’s initials are also R.B.? Interesting, isn’t it?”

  Ariel’s gaze locked on to Aiden’s as she realized what he was saying and seemed to put everything together. “You’re right, that is interesting. If you will excuse me, I think I have something else I need to go and investigate. Thank you for stopping by.”

  “It’s our pleasure,” Aiden responded, confident he’d helped her out. Ariel reached for her helmet once again, but turned to speak just as Aiden and his companions were leaving.

  “One more thing. The mayor came by a little while ago, and asked if I had any spare soldiers to send down to Coldstream and Bracksford. Don’t look so shocked; he may appear to be a selfish fop, but he really does the best he can, given the situation.”

  Aiden held his breath, hoping for good news, but expecting the worst.

  “I’m sorry; I really wish we had more people, but if I send anyone down there, I have to leave something here unprotected,” Ariel said hesitantly. “It doesn’t matter what I do; one way or another, a part of the region is going to be vulnerable. My first duty is to this town, Aiden.”

  “Thanks again for your help, sarge, I know you’re doing your best,” Aiden conceded.

  “Why has your king taken away so many warriors?” Sayana said, unexpectedly. “What could be so important that he would risk the lives of your people like this?”

  Ariel looked at her impassively for a long moment, and Aiden wasn’t sure she was even going to reply. “Ordinarily, I would not even consider telling civilians,” the sergeant replied eventually. “As wife of the captain of the town guard, I am privy to a lot of information that shouldn’t be disseminated amongst the public. But I think you might have done me a big favor, so I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

  Colt leaned over and closed the door, while the others took an unconscious step towards the desk. “The king has declared war on Tulsone, our neighboring country to the west. He didn’t mention his reasons to any of us here in Culdeny, so I can’t really tell you much more than that, except that there was a great deal of negotiation between our two countries for several months prior to the declaration, and this is the first time Aielund has declared war on anyone in its history.”

  “We’ve fought wars before,” Colt reminded her.

  “They were defensive actions, like the Battle of Fort Highmarch,” Ariel disputed. “This is the first time we’ve gone on the offensive, and I can’t tell you why.”

  “What reasons could there be, aside from conquest?” Aiden said bleakly. “Maybe His Majesty decided his country wasn’t big enough anymore, like every other conqueror in history.”

  “This king, he is your leader?” Sayana asked, receiving a nod from Aiden.

  “He has ruled this country longer than I’ve been alive,” Aiden explained,” and in all that time, I’ve never heard of him being bloodthirsty or avaricious.”

  “I don’t have any answers for you, Aiden,” Ariel offered sympathetically. “But keep what I’ve told you amongst yourselves. Wild public speculation isn’t going to help the situation. Good luck to you all.”

  With their business concluded, the group returned to the inn before deciding on their next move. The lack of military assistance from Culdeny for his h
ometown left Aiden in a bleak mood. He pondered the remaining options as they sat down in the common room.

  “You look a bit down,” Colt observed with rare clarity. “Your folks live in Coldstream, right? I can see why that’d be a source of concern. Fortunately for you, I’ve got something that’ll cure you right quick. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “I bet it’s beer,” Pacian remarked after Colt had disappeared amongst the crowd of sailors and other local people populating the common room.

  “And just when he was starting to sober up, too,” Aiden added. “I hope he doesn’t go overboard.”

  “Who said you could sit there?” a tall, rough-looking man with cropped hair and narrow eyes barked at them, suddenly appearing out of the throng to stand imposingly over their table. “This place is for men — I think you three are looking for the children’s table.”

  Three of his drinking companions next to him laughed uproariously at this witty remark. They wore casual, loose-fitting attire; their hands were calloused, and their tanned skin indicated they were most likely sailors.

  Pacian looked blandly at Aiden, his hands slowly moving towards the dagger on his belt. Sayana looked up at the men dangerously, and Aiden thought he could see a glow coming from underneath her tunic. He shook his head slightly, indicating that she should keep cool and Pacian should avoid creating a bloodbath over this minor incident.

  “There’s another table right over there,” Aiden said to the lead man. “We don’t want any trouble, so why don’t you have a seat, and you can have a round of drinks on me.”

  The surly grin from the big sailor told Aiden he wasn’t about to back down in the face of reason. He seemed ready to start a fight, but was shoved aside a moment later by a short, broad-chested fellow with a beard.

  “I’m sorry to bust in on yer group like this,” Clavis MacAliese said, with seeming innocence. “But I think we have some unfinished business to discuss; isn’t that correct, Mister Wainwright?”

  Despite his diminutive stature, the appearance of the dwarf startled the surrounding men. “Say, don’t I know you? Yer faces are awful familiar to me,” Clavis said to the sailors.